


By death's door once more

by Dusklatte



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Assassination Attempt(s), Established Relationship, F/M, Hoo boy there's gonna be a few of them, I mean I can't write angst in any form without soft most of the time, Injury Recovery, Major Character Injury, Near Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Recovery, There will be soft moments I swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-07 09:36:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21455896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusklatte/pseuds/Dusklatte
Summary: After the difficulties that came with ending the war, came the process of rebuilding.One of the final steps involved the coronation of a new Archbishop.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Flayn/Dedue Molinaro, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 9
Kudos: 112





	1. Becoming Archbishop

**Author's Note:**

> It feels so weird writing at the moment... I've been on secondment for the past two weeks at work and I've had to use a mac instead of a windows computer, and the keyboard layout is oh so slightly different... I've been so confused with keyboard shortcuts and over simple things like writing " or £ that I've been almost crying lmao
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> I got this idea on one of my lunch breaks during the secondment and have been slowly working on it for a few days :)  
I am in the process of re-completing the Blue Lions route atm so there may be slight inconsistencies when it comes to what happens in the ending, as I almost got to the timeskip and then the wave 3 dlc came out, and... yeah. I'm on Edelgard's route now. <strike>I just wanna s support jeritza dammit, I've wanted to write him but never properly have</strike>

Though she had been acting as the Archbishop for almost a year and a half, since her return to the world following her five year slumber, Byleth had never been officially coronated into the position. With it being deemed that it would be impossible for the Church to continue under Rhea’s lead, and with new leadership of Fódlan under the King of Faerghus, Dimitri, it felt only right that Byleth be given the title of Archbishop officially.

It had taken months after the victory against the Adrestian Empire for the event to be arranged, given that Fódlan needed to rebuild and recuperate, but finally, the day had arrived. Exactly six years to the day that Byleth became the professor of the Dimitri and his closest companions.

“It’s far too fancy... Please tell me that I can at least take off some of this headwear, or replace the flowers with-!” Byleth was giving herself a glare in the wall-length mirror in front of her, before there was a quiet laugh.

“Never took you to be somebody so into fashion, my dearest...” At those words, Byleth’s glare in the mirror shifted from her own reflection to Dimitri's. He laughed again in response.

“You know that I prefer efficiency over looks. I mean, what if some of the Adrestian army stragglers emerge during the coronation? I would be held back wearing all this... Damn it, can you _please _get Seteth and ask if I can remove some of this, and maybe wear some of my armour?”

“Now now, Professor...” Dimitri rose to his feet, took three big strides over to her, before enveloping her in his arms from behind. “Both Claude and I will be present, and we shall be the ones who fight in such an occurrence. As for your clothes, you look wonderful, and you only need to wear them on ceremonial days such as today, or the Saints days. Please... wear them for today, and I shall treat you tonight when the festivities die down, my promise.”

Byleth did her best to settle into Dimitri’s warmth, revelling in his lack of armour as it meant that she could feel his heart beating against her back. He laughed for a third time, albeit it being much softer and more affectionate than the other times. That was followed by her taking hold of the edges of his cloak and pulling them against her.

The moment of peace was disturbed by a knock on the door, before a knight – of course it was Alois – entered. Dimitri grunted whilst Byleth giggled at his reaction to the intrusion. “Aha! You are both here! Your presence is needed in the Cathedral, as the ceremony is about to begin.”

With a few choice words Byleth could hardly imagine Dimitri muttering a few years ago come out of the King’s mouth in the form of a whisper, she was left alone with Alois. Dimitri had to be there for when she arrived, so she decided on waiting for a few minutes.

A beaming grin was on Alois' face, so she raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Well, you look beautiful in your outfit, and... Jeralt would be proud of you, you know.”

“I'm sure he would be...” Byleth sighed, her gaze shifting back towards the mirror for a moment. It saddened her that she wouldn’t have her only family member with her on such a momentous day, yet at the same time... she did have a new family with her. The former Blue Lions, and the few people from the Church who she grew close to during the war campaign against Edelgard. She would finally have a family again in a few months though, for her marriage to Dimitri was also looming.

Fortunately, she did have a few mementos of her father with her... The ring which he held so dear, as it belonged to her mother... that was on a chain around her neck. She would have given it to Dimitri, but his fingers were rather large, and he had insisted that she kept it, with it being something of sentimental value to her father.

“It is perhaps time that we leave for the Cathedral, Byleth.”

“Oh, yes... of course...”

  
  


* * *

* * *

  
  


Everything had been going smoothly during the coronation. All had been well, the people had been excited to finally have an official Archbishop after all, none more than her former Blue Lions.

However, there was a slight feeling of something... not being right. Every once in a while, Byleth would glance between both Dimitri and Claude, who were stood at opposite sides of the cathedral. Everyone had been surprised at the former Leicester Alliance leader being present, but upon learning of his new position as King of Almyra, and him wanting friendly relations between the two countries, it was more than understandable.

It was only when the ceremony grew to a close, when Byleth was seconds away from being sworn into the role by Seteth that things fell south quickly.

Something caught Byleth’s eye near to the roof, and during a moment she could afford to divert her eyes, she saw two people crouched on the recently built wooden supports. They both wore the armour of the Adrestian Army, and both of them had bows. One, she noted, was aimed directly at her. The other...

The crowd erupted into cheers when Seteth finished speaking, at the same time that Byleth cried out the name of the other target.

Upon the realisation that they had been caught, and their other target was about to be warned, the attackers redirected their bows to face the new Archbishop.

“Dimi-! Ugh...” Her shout had been stopped when two arrows were deeply embedded into her chest and stomach.

The crowds grew silent, followed by loud screams of fear.

As the crowds ran away, aside from the former Blue Lions and the knights, two other arrows flew through the air, but this time, they were intended for the assassins. Claude had caught sight of them attempting to make an escape, and stopped them in their tracks.

In a mere few seconds, everything had fallen apart.

The sound of Areadbhar clattering to the ground was the only thing Byleth heard as a shiver went through her body. The blood seeping into her white ceremonial robes was the only warmth she felt. Her veins felt like they were throbbing, and her body lost the energy to stand within seconds.

She also cursed the fact that she hadn’t been wearing her usual outfit, as that had armour which would have deflected the arrows.

The only saving grace was that she was caught by two familiar, comforting arms as she fell.

  
  


* * *

* * *

  
  


One day had passed since the attempted assassination occurred. Byleth had been unconscious ever since she fell into Dimitri’s arms, with it being possible for her state to take a turn for the worst at any given moment.

A horrifying revelation came about whilst Flayn and Mercedes had been going about trying to heal up the new Archbishop’s wounds – the arrows had not just been any arrows. The arrowheads were blunt, meaning that more damage would be caused upon their removal. They were also coated with poison, so if they were left in, that too would cause more damage – possibly even kill her.

It was fortunate that Claude had been present, as if he hadn’t been, the poison would not have been identified in addition to its cure. There had been many flowers growing in Garreg Mach's greenhouse which had medicinal properties that could help with removing the poison from her body, so he and Dedue had taken on the task of gathering them and preparing the antidote.

Mercedes and Flayn had been working tirelessly to keep Byleth’s state stable once the arrows had been removed from her body. They had decided to take alternate hour long shifts so that they would not strain themselves when using the healing magic.

Seteth and Alois had taken up station outside the Archbishop’s chambers where Byleth rested, to keep her safe from anyone else who may still have been out to finish the job started by the two assassins.

Speaking of the assassins, they had been imprisoned below Garreg Mach, the majority of remaining Blue Lions standing watch over them so that they wouldn’t escape. Not that they could, they were still wounded after Claude stopped them from escaping after they fired their own arrows. Of everyone though, Felix made sure to be present whenever Dimitri emerged, knowing that with Byleth’s life on the line, it would not take much for the King to snap, and attempt to murder the pair before they could find out any more information from them.

Then there was Dimitri. He had been extremely difficult to keep in one place. If he was not at Byleth’s side, clasping her hand between both of his and whispering words of reassurance as well as begging for her to hold on, he was demanding to know how the antidote was doing, or was interrogating the assassins with Felix.

However, at present, he was tired and just wanted to rest. Normally when at Garreg Mach, he would rest beside Byleth in her bed, but that was impossible given that she needed almost constant tending to, and when she was in enough pain, she would start to thrash about. He didn’t care for his abandoned dormitory room either, the bed had been broken for many months as it had not taken well to five years of no use and rot. He had never cared to replace it, as he would either sleep in the cathedral or by Byleth’s side...

He had resorted to dragging a seat out to the terrace opposite Byleth’s room, for if he was needed if the worst was to happen. He would look in one of three places... at the sky, towards Byleth’s room, and towards the gates of the cathedral.

A place he once found comfort in was now somewhere he loathed. The place where his beloved was almost murdered.

Yet... it did not scare the people off. News had rapidly spread of the new Archbishop being almost killed at the moment she had been officially given her title. But they would still come. Even families with young children would visit, offer a prayer to the goddess to help Byleth recover quickly, before placing flowers and a candle by the gate.

Come nightfall, there was a constellation of flickering lights by the gates, and Dimitri felt both overwhelmed and saddened by it. Everyone cared so much for Byleth... yet such a show of support would not have happened if not for the horrible events that had occurred.

But for now, he was reassured that there _was _support for her. He could only hope that it grew only stronger when she becomes queen of the land... when she becomes his wife.

_If she lives until then._

His nails scraped against the stone of the balcony, not caring if it hurt him. He would go through the pain he went through in her five year absence over and _over _if it meant that Byleth could recover from her pain.

Before he could damage his fingers any further, there was the sound of footsteps behind him. The silence which lingered once they had stopped gave Dimitri enough indication of who it was.

“Dedue... Have you and Claude finished the antidote to the poison?”

“Mercedes is administering it as we speak.”

Dimitri sighed, the noise sounding frustrated when in reality it was a sigh of relief. One of the dangers to Byleth’s health was out of the way.

“However, Your Majesty, it is going to take a few days for it to fully take effect, the resources available only allowed for a weak antidote. Fortunately, the arrows were removed quickly, so there is not much poison to be dealt with.”

That... was not as reassuring as what Dedue had previously said, but knowing that one problem was dealt with was enough to bring a slight sense of relief.

_A_ _t least Flayn and Mercedes will only have to focus on healing the wounds now._

“Dedue... thank you. Thank you for helping her...”

“It is Claude who deserves your thanks.”

“I will thank him later... Right now, I am thanking you.”

After that, Dimitri was left alone once more, but he found that he was no longer liking the silence or his thoughts when he was alone.

He decided that maybe those bastards who dared hurt her could do with another… ‘_talking’ _to.


	2. Medicine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri just wants to help with easing Byleth's pain, but he never had the affinity for white magic.

Dimitri felt satisfied when the day came for Byleth’s attackers to be sentenced. His fiancée had suffered greatly over the last few weeks, and was barely able to stay conscious for more than a few minutes. Though the threat of poison was now in the past, it turned out that Byleth’s wounds had been deeper and caused more damage than first anticipated.

And he was happy. Not that she was in pain, but because they would get to suffer as she had done. His input to Seteth on what he believed the sentence for an attempted assassination on the Archbishop was clear – if Byleth lives, they live. If Byleth dies, they die at his hands. But they would forever remain imprisoned for the rest of their lives.

Surprisingly, Seteth had agreed. And so, punishment was handed out as swiftly as Byleth’s wounds had been inflicted.

The first thing which Dimitri did once they were locked away was to go to see how Byleth was doing, hoping that the news of the attackers being imprisoned for life would help Byleth’s condition to improve.

She was asleep on her bed, on top of the blankets meaning that he could see each and every one of the tightly wrapped bandages around her torso. He wished he had the capacity to heal all of her wounds, and give her back the energy which she once had, but he knew that would be… difficult. He never had an affinity for healing and magic – the same had been true of anyone in the past bearing the crest of Blaiddyd.

But he was willing to _try. _

He had asked Mercedes about lessons in white magic, which she had contemplated for a moment, before asking what his capacity for magic was. Hint: it was non-existent. She then declined teaching him white magic for now. She said that instead, he should participate in choir sessions for the foreseeable future to develop his magic skill, but she _could_ teach him the arts of medicine and herbal remedies.

So, Dimitri was now the one responsible for giving Byleth the medicine to ease her pain, after Mercedes had showed him how a few times. He, fortunately, was able to make the process of easing her pain into something calmer and relaxing than just having to take medicine.

“Byleth…” He settled himself down beside her on the bed, and gave her cheek a touch as gentle as he could. “Beloved, can you hear me?” He continued stroking her cheek, his breath held until her head moved upwards a slight bit as she tried to nod. “How are you feeling today…?”

There was a silence for a few moments, the exception being short, quiet rasps from Byleth as she tried to find her words. “Like… I’ve been shot… by arrows... twice...” She then wheezed slightly, making Dimitri sigh and run his hands through her hair.

“Beloved… I know you are trying to ease my worries, but please do not joke of what happened...” he whispered, before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You need to take your medicine… Will you have it with a drink of tea? I know you dislike the bitter taste of the herbs on their own...”

A slow nod came from Byleth, before one of her pale hands moved to rest on her chest. She then took as big of a breath as she could, and dug the nails of her other hand into the sheets as she tried to pull herself into a sitting position. Dimitri panicked for a moment when he realised what she was doing, though he quickly stopped her from exerting herself and propping her up himself. He placed many pillows behind her back, made sure she could breathe properly, before giving her some space as he made the tea.

In the months following Rodrigue’s death, and in the time leading up to Edelgard’s defeat… His coronation as king… His proposal to her… He had relished the time she set aside for him, where she would brew a pot of chamomile tea, share it with him and allow him to vent out the multitude of feelings and emotions which were so heavily weighing him down. He felt it only fair to return the favour now that she was bed-bound. There would be no doubt that things were on her mind now that she had nothing but time to dwell on them when she wasn’t asleep.

“Di… mitri...” There was a quiet whisper from the bed when the tea was starting to steep, which caught his attention and made him return to her side. “You… aren’t neglecting your duties… for me… are you…?”

“No, Byleth… I have asked for any work I need to focus on to be brought here, so that I can care for you when you are awake, and complete my work when you are not… Our friends have been helping where necessary too, so you have no need to worry...” He leaned over, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He then noticed that her eyes were opened slightly, which brought a smile to his face. “I look forward to the day I can put my work aside so that I can go on a stroll with you around Garreg Mach in the early morning, and show you all that you have missed whilst on bed-rest...”

“So… do I...” She took another few deep breaths, before raising her hand towards the tea. “Is it done…?”

He left her alone for a moment, and retrieved the tray which he had left the tea on, before returning to the bed. He shuffled himself onto the sheets next to her, and helped her to pour her drink as she usually liked it, with the inclusion of some sugar to drown out the bitterness of her medicine.

“When this pain goes… and Flayn and Mercedes say that I can leave the bed...” Byleth then whispered as Dimitri moved the tray with her tea onto her lap, with both of her hands slowly going to take hold of the cup. “I want to go to Fhirdiad...”

“You wish to see Fhirdiad? That can be arranged. Seteth will no doubt forbid you from working for a few weeks following your recovery, so you will have some time on your hands,” Dimitri stated, before giving her a faint smile and pressed a kiss to her head. “What of Fhirdiad would you like to see?”

“Your home...” Dimitri was shocked by her response, before he chuckled. “I want to see… where you grew up… And to see… where I will live as your wife… your queen...”

“If that is what you wish, beloved. Now, you have some tea to drink. I will allow you to return to your rest once you have had it...”

The next few minutes were spent in a peaceful silence, the only noises being when Byleth would wince at the pains in her chest and stomach. She also pursed her lips together when she happened to get a large mouthful of her medicine which hadn’t been properly stirred into her tea. She couldn’t blame Dimitri for that though, if he had stirred it more than he had done, the cup would have shattered with his strength.

Once the cup was empty, she sighed quietly and rested her head on his shoulder. He gave her a light squeeze of her shoulder, before moving to clean up the cups and the tray.

He then helped her to lie down once more, and before he left her to resume his work, he would press a kiss to her lips – on her request – and reassure her that her pain will go, that he will forever be by her side, and in a few short months, that he will be waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

He realised only afterwards that he never mentioned to her that her attackers had now been sentenced, and could not bring harm to her again.


	3. Those impacted (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are tough for Byleth and Dimitri as Byleth heals from her wounds.
> 
> But they aren't the only people impacted by the attempted assassination - in particular for the three closest to the pair: Dedue, Flayn, and Seteth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to update this, but I also wanted to not just focus on Byleth and Dimitri...  
There's only so much fluff I feel like I can write in this sort of scenario before I feel like I'm just repeating myself over and over... 
> 
> This is also going to be a two-part thing! This first part will be primarily focussed on Dedue, and the second part mostly around Seteth.
> 
> And I don't like updating without a chapter summary but it took me almost an hour just to come up with a decent sounding one;;

Seteth had been working himself to the bone after Byleth had been injured. He was, for all intents and purposes, acting Archbishop whilst she recovered. Flayn had been very frustrated at his more than doubled workload, and dark circles around his eyes.

By the 13th of the Blue Sea Moon, Flayn had had enough. She had been found in the kitchens by Dedue, crying as she attempted to cook a fish which she had caught at the docks.

“I wouldn’t recommend cooking without a flame first, Flayn.”

“H-Huh...?” Flayn glanced up, hardly able to make out who it was for a moment due to tears clouding her vision, before she wiped her eyes and nodded. “Oh, Dedue... Y-yes, you are right... No wonder I didn’t smell the fish cooking...”

For a moment, Flayn took a few deep breaths before attempting to start a flame to cook with. Dedue stopped her straight away, a concerned frown on his face.

“Before you attempt to light the flame, may I ask what is bothering you? It is rare not to see you with a smile on your face.”

She remained silent for a moment, glancing at his hand keeping a firm grasp of her wrist to stop her from trying to light the flame. “I am... simply upset with my brother. He has been so busy, he forgot something of great importance, and... And I...”

Dedue silently nodded along, before he made his way behind the counters to assist Flayn with her cooking after he finally allowed her to light the flame. He knew straight away that she was using a temperature far too high to cook her fish. And that it was often recommended that she be kept _away _from kitchens on the basis of food getting ruined.

“You can always tell me of any problems which you have, Flayn. I am always willing to listen.”

A very slight smile crept onto Flayn's face at his words. As Seteth had been so busy, Byleth still in the early stages of recovery from her wounds with Dimitri constantly by her side, and their other friends and allies had returned home by this point, she had nobody to confide in.

“Thank you, Dedue... Would you care to join me after this then?”

“Of course.”

The two remained in silence after that, Flayn slowly cheering up as she watched the fish be cooked up into a magnificent meal, in awe of how easy Dedue made it seem.

After that, Flayn offered Dedue a portion of the meal as thanks for his help, before the two sat down in the empty dining hall.

Dedue had been the first of the two to speak. “Your smile has returned.”

Flayn laughed quietly, and nodded. “Yes... I am getting to share my favourite meal with a friend, so I do feel quite happy. I would normally eat with my brother or Byleth, but... that has not been possible recently.” She then closed her eyes after eating a forkful of the fish, humming as she savoured the taste. “Thank you for your help too, this is much more delicious than I could have made it myself.”

Dedue shook his head, though he did happen to be smiling back at her as he did so. “Had you remembered to light the flame, I am certain that you could have achieved this also,” he began, watching as she continued to happily eat her meal. “May I ask though, what did Seteth forget which made you so upset?”

Though the dining hall was already quiet, the silence as Flayn set down her utensils made the atmosphere grow heavy. “My birthday. Also Saint Cethleann day. Not a year would pass where we would not find somewhere quiet to spend a day fishing, before partaking in a meal of the fish that we caught... Even in those five years whilst you and King Dimitri were believed dead, and Byleth was missing... You would think that a father would at least acknowledge his daughter's birthday, busy or not...”

Now it was Dedue's turn to set his cutlery down. “Seteth is not your brother, but your father?”

Flayn's face turned pale when she realised that she had accidentally revealed the one secret she had done her best to keep. “I- I did not mean to-!” She glanced around to make sure that nobody had entered the hall, before she bit her lip. “I beg of you, do not tell a _soul_, Dedue... We say we are brother and sister for reasons to do with our safety. Only Byleth and Rhea are aware... And now you.”

“I promise I will not tell. But I do understand why you would be upset over him forgetting your birthday.”

Flayn seemed to have been reassured by that point, so she nodded and smiled at him. “Thank you...”

The two remained in what was fortunately a comfortable silence as they finished their food, before Flayn took their dishes to clean them, to make up for him cooking the meal. Following a brief conversation about everything which was going on in Garreg Mach, the two walked over to the second floor of the monastery together.

“I have been asked to help with cleaning and healing Byleth’s wounds, so we must past ways here, Dedue... What shall you be doing with yourself?”

Dedue paused for a moment, before looking down the hallway. “His Majesty has said that he will be spending today with Byleth and not working, so I may take some time to read in the library. Perhaps you would like to meet again this evening? I enjoyed our conversations this morning.”

Flayn smiled, and nodded. “Yes, I enjoyed them too. It would be a delight to speak again tonight. See you then, Dedue.”

Once Flayn had made her way up the next flight of stairs, Dedue frowned. Flayn had been awfully upset over Seteth being busy enough to forget her birthday. At the same time, however, Seteth could not be blamed. Nobody foresaw the attempted assassination nor the increase in workload which would come from it.

After a few moments he walked up to a door down the hallway, and knocked. There was the sound of a sigh from the other side, before a quiet mumble of “_come in,” _could be heard. Dedue frowned as he opened the door, and was met with the sight of Seteth rubbing his forehead with frustration as he held a pen in his other hand, looking down at a long-looking document.

Seteth eventually looked up, and took that as an opportunity to sort out his posture. “Ah, Dedue... Have you come to pass along a message from King Dimitri?” Seteth placed his pen down for a brief moment, before he muttered something under his breath, picked it up once more, and wrote something down on a piece of rough-looking paper.

“No. I have not.”

“Then why – Goddess damn it, this form is a mess – are you here? I cannot afford a moment for idle chit-chat.”

Dedue furrowed his brow as he watched Seteth wave his hand to dismiss him. Instead, he remained stood where he was. “When did you last take a moment for yourself, Seteth? Have you even taken breaks aside from maintaining your basic needs?”

Seteth glanced up again, frowned, and yet again placed his pen down. “I do not see why that should matter. I do not wish to see Byleth swamped with work upon her complete recovery.”

“But in return, you are doing the work of two people. You will run yourself into the ground if you continue.” It seemed that Seteth was getting somewhat bothered with what Dedue was saying, knowing that it was the truth, but was unwilling to leave Byleth with a heavy burden. “All I ask, Seteth, is that you care for yourself more, and think of the impact on people aside from Byleth.”

At that point, Seteth carefully placed the paperwork into one stack, before folding his arms and closing his eyes. “May I ask who persuaded you to come here to tell me to look after myself?”

Dedue shook his head. “Nobody asked. I came here because...” he still had the image in his head of the state Flayn had been in when he found her, sobbing as she attempted to make a meal which held masses of sentimental value to her. “Because you have forgotten that you have responsibilities away from the Church.”

“I do not understand what you are talking about.”

By this point, Dedue almost felt like a nagging parent himself, but he tried to put that to the back of his mind. He wasn’t confronting Seteth for himself, he just wanted to see both him and Flayn relax, and to cheer up. “About an hour ago, I found Flayn in the kitchens, distraught that you managed to forget her birthday because of your workload.”

Seteth remained still and silent, before he groaned and buried his head into his hands. “Please tell me that this is a cruel joke which you are playing.”

“No. It is the 13th of the Blue Sea Moon... One day after Flayn’s birthday.”

There was only the sound of Seteth whispering for the Goddess and Saint Cethleann to forgive him as he stared down at the pile of paperwork, before he picked it all up and placed it into a wooden drawer.

“Where is Flayn now...?”

“She is caring for Byleth at present, so she may not want to be disturbed at present. However, I promised to meet her at the dining hall this evening to converse over dinner. Perhaps then would be an opportune moment to speak with her.”

“I... Yes, that would likely be for the best...” Seteth began to gaze up at the ceiling, the dark rings under his eyes becoming more visible from that angle. “Thank you for telling me, Dedue. I appreciate it...”

Dedue nodded, and proceeded to leave. He knew that it may have been a bad idea to have intervened as he did, but... He hated the thought of Flayn being unhappy. He also did it because he knew that Byleth and Dimitri would be concerned if they heard about how hard Seteth had been working himself, but for some strange reason, Flayn was the first person to come to his mind...


	4. Those impacted (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seteth, whilst busy doing Byleth's work in her absence, could not forgive himself for forgetting such an important day. 
> 
> He could only hope that Flayn would forgive him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part to... well, the chapter before! It's quite short (or at least I feel that it's short!), and this time focuses mostly on Seteth. 
> 
> After this chapter, the focus is going to be back on Byleth and Dimitri!

After what he had been told by Dedue, Seteth had felt disappointed in himself – no, absolutely _abhorred _in himself – that he had forgotten Flayn’s birthday. Even if he were to forget his own birthday, he should never have forgotten hers.

_What kind of father would do such a thing?_

He decided not long after that to stop what he was doing, and reassess his current situation. Yes, he had more work than usual whilst Byleth was recovering from the attack. That much was certain. He knew most of it would likely need to be done by the time that she recovered, so as to not strain her too much as she begins to take on her new role as Archbishop. But was it as urgent as he felt that it was? He wasn’t too sure. But even then, he had treated it all as urgent, and needing his immediate attention.

That was likely why he had managed to get himself far too tangled in his work to even pay attention to the date.

Eventually, he put away all of the documents scattered across his desk, returned books to shelves, and neatened out his stationary. He was going to leave his office, and he was not going to return to it for the remainder of the day. He owed Flayn at least that.

The one fortunate thing was that he had actually prepared her a gift in advance. He had seen something in the marketplace a few months earlier which she was bound to love. Jewellery, adorned with shells from the Rhodos Coast… A place so special to them both.

When it reached the time that he was supposed to meet Flayn and Dedue at the dining hall, he couldn’t help but feel a slight anxiety. He hoped that Flayn would not hold his mistake against him – though he knew that she would likely still be upset for a time.

As he thought to himself about what he could do to make up for the sadness he had caused, but also whilst trying to deal with his ever-growing workload, he had somehow found his way to the meeting place without even realising it. He only realised when he almost walked straight into the doors.

Once inside, he was surprised at an overwhelmingly pleasant smell… One which brought him a sense of comfort and nostalgia. He felt almost miles away from the stresses of the current situation… Until he noticed who was cooking. Flayn was there, a wide smile on her face as she watched something cook. He almost jumped in to ask why she had been allowed to cook, knowing her tendency to ruin any food she attempts to cook, but decided against it when he realised that she was simply assisting Dedue in cooking.

He then noticed her eyes widen before lighting up as she saw him stood by the door. “Ah! You’re here! Dedue said that you had told him that you were going to eat with us tonight, and I was worried that you would be to busy with work…” She stepped away from the kitchen, and quickly made her way over to him. That was followed by her reaching up and giving him a light flick to his forehead. “_That _was for forgetting my birthday, but _this…_” Flayn smiled as she gave him a tight hug. “Is for remembering. Even if it is one day late…”

Seteth returned the hug, before sighing. “I am so sorry for forgetting, Flayn… I have been so busy recently that my days all seem to be merging into one. I do have a gift for you too, however, I cannot give it to you whilst you are crushing my ribs.”

“Oh!” Flayn very quickly released her grasp of him, but that was very quickly followed with her taking hold of his wrist. “I believe that we should wait until after we have eaten. Dedue and I were just about finished cooking when you arrived, so I feel that I can wait for a few more minutes before opening your gift.” She tugged him over to one of the tables, where their food was waiting for them.

It was only when Seteth saw the food that he realised what Flayn had been cooking with Dedue, and a small smile formed on his face. “You cooked her favourite meal.”

“Yes… It is unfortunate that mother could not be with us, but I believed that a reminder of her in the form of her favourite meal would be nice…” Flayn explained, before she started smiling at Dedue. “I have never been able to do the meal justice, but Dedue is an incredible chef, and made it almost exactly as she did…”

“I did not know that it was such an important recipe to you both. I simply followed the instructions which Flayn provided to me,” Dedue stated, before his eyes widened at how eagerly Flayn seemed to be eating the dish. “It appears to have turned out well.”

“Indeed…” Seteth muttered as he raised an eyebrow at his daughter, as she appeared to not even be taking a moment to breathe between mouthfuls. He then exchanged a concerned look with Dedue, who seemed to be just as worried about how she was eating. They both sighed when she finally took a break to drink some water.

The meal continued with a light-hearted atmosphere, with Flayn being the first one to finish before begging both Seteth and Dedue to hurry up and eat. None of them even noticed Dimitri enter the dining hall to get himself and Byleth something to eat, nor did they notice the puzzled look in response to just how loud it was around their table.

Then, once their plates had been cleaned, Seteth felt a slight bit anxious as he took out the gift which he had bought for Flayn. Following on from a meal which reminded them of her mother, she was about to receive a gift which would do the same… He hoped that she would like the gift.

“Flayn… Again, I am sorry that I have been so busy working that I forgot that yesterday was your birthday. I hope that you will forgive me, and that you will appreciate this gift which I bought for you…” He whispered, before pushing the small, neatly wrapped box across the table towards her.

She gave him an understanding smile as she picked up the present, before unwrapping it. That was followed by a loud gasp, and her diving across the table to try and hug him. “I saw those in the marketplace a few weeks ago! I went to buy them myself, but by the time that I reached the vendor, they had already been sold…” She then returned to her seat, and dusted off her dress. “These were made with shells from the Rhodos Coast, weren’t they…? I almost feel as though mother is here with us today, with how many reminders we seem to be getting…”

Seteth nodded, before closing his eyes with a smile. “Also, Flayn… I may be busy at the moment, but I will always make time for you if you asked. Even if it is something as simple as telling me to meet you here for a meal.”

“And I shall eagerly take you up on that offer.”


	5. Going further

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri prays to the Goddess, whilst Byleth wakes up on her own feeling better than she had done in a while.

Dimitri had found himself in the Cathedral for the first time since the attempted assassination. He had been hesitant to even enter the building, the horrific events of the past playing at the forefront of his mind. The ways in which he would yell and shout at Byleth, even threaten her when he was in his downward spiral of destruction… His inability to protect her from the attack during her coronation as Archbishop… He felt that he had done so much wrong by her in a building which was supposed to be holy.

With reluctant yet large steps, he made his way up to the altar at the front, where he so vividly recalled her falling into his arms in the moments after those arrows had pierced through her flesh, staining her magnificent white dress sickening shades of crimson. He then turned to face the wooden supports where the assassins had perched themselves before Claude’s arrows brought them down to be apprehended. He noticed that work had been started to cover the wood in materials which prevented people from climbing or hiding on them – _good._

After a few moments of looking around the building, he kneeled down and closed his eye. Even though the Goddess resided within his wounded beloved, he could only hope that his prayers could reach her and be granted.

“Sothis… I come to you today to ask that you watch over Byleth as she continues to recover from her injuries,” he muttered, fingers digging into his gloved palms. “I know that you exist within her, but… There are moments where I fear for her greatly. There are times where she can barely remain awake and I worry that she will not wake up. You have already granted her so much of your power, which I am most grateful for… I beg that you give her just a bit more. Please…”

As he opened his eye, he realised then that he had a tear trailing down his face. _Had his prayer been so emotionally charged that he had found himself crying?_

He decided that enough was enough – he had spent long enough in the Cathedral already. He had to return to Byleth, as she needed to take more of her pain relief soon.

With a deep breath, he rose to his feet once more, closed his eyes, and walked out of the Cathedral, not wanting any more dark memories to return to him.

* * *

* * *

The sounds of birds from outside the propped open window had been what roused Byleth from her dreamless sleep. She had been slowly finding it easier to sleep over recent days, though she still found herself constantly tired. It perhaps didn’t help that the only blend of tea which was available in her quarters happened to be chamomile, as that happened to be Dimitri’s favourite, and obviously had the known effect of making people tired… And also happened to be the drink which she had to help take the herbs and medicine which Mercedes had prescribed to help with her pain.

Another thing which she was finding easier as of late was movement. She could sit herself up in bed with minimal assistance, and she could also move over short distances without support, usually no further than the doors leading into her rooms. Any further, then she would usually have Dimitri by her side to help her with moving, which often ended with him carrying her to wherever she wanted to go. It frustrated her to no end with how limited her life was, but she knew that she had to take it slowly – as was the nature of recovering from poison and life-threatening wounds.

Following on from a yawn, Byleth pulled herself into an upright position. She then glanced around her room, hoping to either see Dimitri at his temporarily set up desk, or at the very least, present in the room. Unfortunately, he was not. She sighed.

Slowly, she edged herself over to the edge of the bed, the intention being to just make her way over to the door before returning to her bed. It had become part of her daily routine, just to help with building up the strength in her muscles once more. Before she left the comfort of her bed however, she reached over to her nightstand and grabbed hold of a ribbon which Flayn had so kindly given her to keep her hair out of her face. It was starting to grow longer than she was used to it being, so being able to tie it up was a practical enough solution until she had enough energy to sit long enough for a hair trim.

There was only one problem – her coordination with her hands had been badly impacted by how long she had been mostly immobile thanks to the poison, so she was unable to keep her hands steady enough to pull her hair behind her head and tie it up. As such, Dimitri had been assisting her with that small task, and obviously, he was currently not present.

With a small sigh, she rose to her feet, grabbing hold of the bedpost as she felt her legs tremble once she was stood. A few attempts at taking deep breaths later, she let go of the bed, but kept hold of the hair ribbon just in case she had to attempt to tie her hair up anyway.

Everything seemed to go well as she took small and slow steps towards the door. She became very aware of her legs shaking, and the slight translucency and sickly shade of her skin as she moved as she looked at her feet with each step which she took. She reached the door without too much struggle, though did need to lean against it to catch her breath.

Her eyes then widened as her fingers weakly pressed into the wood of the door – most other times she had done this, she had either fallen to the ground or had Dimitri take hold of her to keep her stable upon reaching the door. Today, she had not. She was still upright… She actually didn’t feel too bad.

It felt like that much of an achievement, not falling down, that she decided that she would see how far she could go (within reason). She set herself the simple target of the terrace opposite her room, overlooking the Cathedral. Dimitri would take her out there when she was in need of fresh air, so she felt that would be an appropriate place which wouldn’t send him into a panic when he returns to her room and sees that she was no longer in bed.

The first thought which crossed Byleth’s mind as she stepped outside without support for the first time in weeks was that the stone against her feet was _cold. _However… it was cold enough that she could withstand.

To encourage herself to make it across to the side of the terrace, she began to count each step which she took in her head.

_One… Two… Three…_

She stopped for a moment as the breeze momentarily picked up, and made her almost lose her balance.

_Four… Five… Six… Seven…_

A few moments to steady her breathing.

_Eight… Nine… Ten… Eleven… Twelve… Thirteen. _

Her hands came to rest on the edge of the terrace after thirteen steps. She closed her eyes as she took in just how _huge _of an achievement she had accomplished, on her own at that. She had managed to go outside _on her own, without any help._

She would likely need help returning to her bed, however… Her legs were beginning to tremble more than before, and she could feel her balance wavering. Fortunately, she was able to keep herself upright with her hold of the edge being enough of a support.

Silently she opened her eyes, and looked at the Cathedral opposite her. According to Dimitri, something resembling a small shrine had been set up by the gates of the building in the days after she had been wounded in a thoughtful gesture hoping for her quick recovery. It had mostly disappeared now, though a few candles and flowers were still remained.

There was also something else by the Cathedral gates.

Or rather, someone.

* * *

* * *

Dimitri had stepped outside of the Cathedral, and took a deep breath as he began to make his way towards the monastery. He had to admit that even though he did not want to enter the Cathedral, it had helped with putting his mind at ease. As he continued forward, he wiped the remaining trails of tears from his face, before looking up towards the terrace opposite his beloved’s rooms.

He did not expect to see her stood there, looking down at him. There was no doubt about it – she was right there. Her pale green hair was pale enough to be distinguished from the likes of Seteth and Flayn, and not to mention that he recognised that familiar blue nightdress which she had on.

“Byleth…?!”

Concern flooded through him as he quickly began to move towards the monastery so that he could see why on earth she was out there, when she was meant to rest in bed until she had taken her medicine! _Clearly, somebody had taken her out there! Or perhaps she persuaded somebody to? _Either way, he knew that he would likely have to take her back to bed once he reached her.

By the time that he reached the entrance to the terrace and stepped outside, Byleth was now facing the door, but was sat on the floor. Based on the wince on her face, she had fallen down – one of the main reasons that he preferred that she left her room with company… it was more than evident that she was out here alone.

“What are you doing out here?” He approached her, and decided that rather than pull her to her feet, he would crouch down to her for now. “And how did you get here?”

Byleth gave him a small smile, and laughed weakly. “I felt… less weak today. Still shaky, but I was able to make my way here before my legs gave in…” Her eyes met his again, then she spoke once more. “I don’t think I’ll be able to get to bed again without help though.”

“Allow me to help you then… Take my hands, then I will pull you up. Tell me if I am too forceful, we both know how my crest likes to come into play at the least convenient of times…” He held his hands out for her, and shakily, she took hold of them. As he pulled her upwards, he became aware of the ribbon in her hands, and smiled softly at her. “I suppose that you were wanting to tie your hair before coming out here, but couldn’t?”

She quietly laughed and nodded. “If you could help me…”

“Of course. Lean against me if you wish whilst I do it…” He took hold of the ribbon as she slowly eased herself against him so that her head was against his chest. Gently, he pulled all of her hair together and tied it up for her. “There, done…” Following letting go of her hair, he wrapped one arm around her, and used the other to take hold of her chin to tilt her head upward for a kiss. “I feel that my prayers have been answered already…”

“Prayers…? Were you at the Cathedral to pray just then?”

“I… Yes, I was. I asked for the Goddess to-“

Before Dimitri could finish his sentence, somebody ran out onto the balcony, clearly out of breath. “Y-Your Majesty-!”

He sighed as he looked at the messenger, keeping a firm grasp of Byleth as he addressed them. “I have not officially been coronated as king yet, due to the Archbishop’s condition. But I suppose that you are not here for semantics… What do you need me for?”

The messenger gulped, and nodded. “There have been a series of attacks on Fhirdiad over recent days by an unknown enemy, and the people are growing fearful without a leader there to protect them… We humbly request that you return to the capital.”

As he took in the message, he felt Byleth’s fingers pressing against the material of her shirt. He looked down at her, and bit his lip. His obligations as leader meant that he _would _have to go to Fhirdiad…

“Beloved, I…”

“Dimitri… Take me with you.”


End file.
